Special Agent Patrick Bowers had only met two men who made him truly afraid. Until now. When he's called to North Carolina to consult on the case of an area serial killer, he finds himself in a deadly game. Cunning and lethal, the killer is always one step ahead of the law, and he's about to strike again. It will take all of Bowers's instincts and training to stop this man who calls himself the Illusionist. And just when the pieces start to come together, Bowers realizes they're not quite adding up. Can he unravel the pattern and save the next victim? Or will the Illusionist win the game by taking one of his opponent's pieces? Thrilling, chilling, and impossible to put down, The Pawn will hold suspense lovers in its iron grip until the very last page.

Kept me turning the pages| Posted January 04, 2011
If you are a fan of suspense, psychological thrillers, and serial killer novels, you should give this book a try. It's somewhat reminiscent of Ted Dekker, though I think I actually like it better. I don't finish many books as quickly as I did this one and I look forward to reading more from James in the future. Christianity is not overly present, but is subtly weaved into the story and I get the feeling it may be included more as the main character progresses in the series.

The Pawn| Posted September 14, 2010
Steven James has certainly landed successfully into the under-populated realm of Christian Suspense Fiction. The Pawn begins with a graphic description of coerced suicide, which leads into a broad spectrum of events that culminate in James' expertly written denouement. Patrick Bowers, an FBI agent specializing in geospatial investigating and "geographic profiling" (who happens to harbor a great dislike for behavioral profilers), is called into Ashville, North Carolina to consult on the case of a deadly area serial killer who leaves the chess piece, the pawn, at the scene of all his crimes. This man calls himself the Illusionist. Patrick's 17 year old daughter, Tessa, is still reeling from her mother's death from cancer only months before, as is Patrick. Their disconnected, frayed relationship is at the center of the magnificent plot of the novel.
With brilliantly interwoven plots and historical information, Steven James has crafted a thriller that is sure to be remembered. The Pawn is a novel that will leave you stunned, hanging on the edge of your seat, enduring the agonizing wait until you can get your hands on the sequel, The Rook. This novel is well worth the time invested!

Awesome Start to a new Series| Posted October 28, 2008
This is a very well written book and the characters are developed very well bringing a lot of insight to their thoughts. The story is a bout Patrick Bowers a FBI agent who is called in to help search for a serial killer. He is recently widowed and left with a 17 yr old step daughter who he doesnt really spend much time with. Bowers has a lot of things going on in his life besides trying to find a serial killer who leaves a chess piece at each crime scene. Bowers and the other agents seem to have problems figuring out who the killer is and he seems to be many steps ahead of them and have things planned out far in advance. I love the way that James works the historical details into the book and relates them to this story. Also brings to light the struggles of the teenage daughter and what she is dealing with(im not sure ive ever seen it really brought up before). I cant wait for the next book Rook.